November 21, 2012

Why Justin Trudeau is nothing like his father

Thomas Walkom

The entrance to the Justin Trudeau event was guarded by two women. "Please sign up here," said one.

The reporter looked at the
sheet labelled something like “Justin’s supporters.” He pointed out that he was
not a supporter.

“That’s OK,” said the other.
“You can ask to be taken off the list later.”

To the reporter, that sounded
like negative option billing. He demurred. In fact, had he signed up and jumped
through a couple of other hoops, he would be eligible — even as a non-Liberal —
to vote in April’s Liberal leadership contest.

“If you don’t sign, you can’t
go in,” said the first woman. The reporter said he was a reporter and went in
anyway.

Inside the University of
Toronto auditorium, about 300 people, mainly youngish, were listening. Justin
Trudeau, the man who would be Canada’s next federal Liberal leader, was on
stage answering questions.

He seemed perfectly at ease.

Trudeau is usually called
charismatic. He is often compared to his father, former prime minister Pierre.

But the son’s charisma — if
that’s what it is — differs from that of the father. Pierre Trudeau always
seemed slightly alien. His face was more interesting than handsome, his diction
oddly flat.

To many, the sense of mystery
that Pierre Trudeau exuded appealed. Others were put off. A few saw him as the
anti-Christ, particularly when it became known that his licence plate contained
the number 666. In the Bible, that’s the sign of the beast.

By contrast, the son’s appeal
lies in his approachability. He is not the anti-Christ. In fact, he seems
rather nice.

On this day, Trudeau appeared
to be having a ball. A former teacher, the 40-year-old handled the largely
student audience deftly — picking, apparently at random, those whose questions
he would take and then answering in a manner that appeared straightforward even
when it was not.

Youth unemployment? Trudeau
spoke firmly against it and said something must be done. It’s only when the
reporter checked his notes later that he realized the candidate had never quite
said what.

Medicare? The existing
system, said Trudeau, is not sustainable. A serious conversation is needed.
Otherwise medicare will die from benign neglect.

Later, the reporter asked
Trudeau what he would say if such a conversation were held. The answers were
either vague or disappointingly close to the conventional antimedicare wisdom
rampant in Ottawa. More emphasis on prevention. More home care. But all without
more federal money.

“More money got us into the
mess we’re in now,” Trudeau said, a statement which is almost certainly
incorrect.

At times, Trudeau seemed as
if he were both performing and watching himself perform. The term he might use
is being “meta.”

Asked about his views on
foreign policy, he launched into a denunciation of Prime Minister Stephen
Harper for paying too much attention to domestic politics when dealing with the
world.

Then suddenly he stopped
himself and chuckled. “That’s not clear,” he admitted. “But I don’t want to go
too far into the weeds on this.”

What he meant, presumably, is
that he was too close to criticizing Harper for his uncritical and adamantine
support of Israel. As former party chieftain Michael Ignatieff found to his
chagrin, being outspoken on the Middle East is dangerous for anyone who wants
to lead the Liberals.

Still, there was something
there beyond the standard weave and dodge. A sense of optimism maybe. A kind of
infectious enthusiasm.

These days, the Trudeau
campaign is compared to that of U.S. President Barack Obama. But with his
intuitive ability to connect, the candidate’s style is actually more like that
of Bill Clinton, albeit without the former American president’s attention to
detail.

Not that everyone was
impressed. “I’m for Marc Garneau,” a Liberal shanghaied into helping with the
event confided later — a reference to the former astronaut and current Quebec
MP who has not yet indicated whether he will run.

And Justin Trudeau? “He’s
very charismatic,” the Liberal said.

Thomas Walkom is a news services columnist who writes
on national affairs.